With so many events cancelled and stores closed, I’m spending more time in my studio, and being a morning person by nature, I’m up painting before sunrise. The studio windows look to the East, and lately my inspiration has been the sky just prior to the sun’s appearance. The other day the colors were spectacular—intense blues and stunning oranges.
That morning I started brushing in ultramarine blue at the top of the paper, gradating the watercolor downward, adding cerulean (a more greenish type of blue), then gradually blending in some raw sienna mixed with a little alizarin crimson. Next I dropped in some pure orange hue near the horizon to achieve an intense color. While the paint was still wet I carefully brushed in horizontal blue lines to represent the distant clouds. I then quickly pushed thick dark ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, and sepia into the foreground, letting a few areas mix with the sky to achieve some soft edges. A small area of white paper was saved to represent the spot where the sun would rise. Lastly I added a few birds at the horizon.
Another day, another sunrise! Painting will get me through these difficult times.
KC
Very lovely Kathy! I appreciate the inspiration. I may give it a try once the rain gets here. In the meantime I’ve been walking our dog and getting some much needed yard work done . . . so nice to be out in the sunshine! Happy painting!
I love a dramatic sky and yours exceed all expectations. Yes painting ;s very soothing during this trying time. Glad to hear from you.
beautiful Kathy! I think I will try it using a big brush with my hand in a cast for a month, could be a fun series—or at least color therapy for the eyes!
Hope you are well
Sorry to hear you have a cast! The series could be very interesting–send me some jpegs